1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to instruments, systems, and methods for suturing or stitching and, more particularly, to end effectors, systems, and methods for surgical suturing and/or stitching through an access device.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In many surgical procedures, including those involved in minimally invasive surgery and those in non-minimally invasive procedures, suturing bodily organs or tissue may be part of the procedure. Minimally invasive suturing procedures can be challenging due to the small openings through which the suturing of bodily organs or tissues must be accomplished.
During open surgery, suturing of bodily organs or tissue is achieved through the use of a sharp needle having a length of suture material attached at one of its ends. The surgeon stitches tissue by penetrating a suture needle through bodily tissue and pulling the suture material through the bodily tissue. Once the suture material is pulled through the bodily tissue, the surgeon forms a knot in the suture material to secure the suture material to the bodily tissue.
During endoscopic surgery, knotting of the suture material is especially time consuming and burdensome due to the difficulty in maneuvering a suture needle through the small endoscopic openings.
Many attempts have been made to provide devices to overcome the disadvantages of conventional suturing. Such devices include clip appliers, clamping devices and stapling devices. However, such prior devices are limiting in that these devices dispense staples, clips, clamps, or other fasteners which are of a predetermined length, and are not able to adapt or adjust to different tissue thicknesses.